pretty things … ninainvorm

I am a complete sucker for anything lovely which cleverly combines old and new, so fell hook, line and sinker for the adorable ceramics created by Nina Van de Goor.

Ninainvorm Cloud Pitcher

Ninainvorm is the beautiful etsy shop stocked with vintage ceramics which have been adorned with beautiful screenprinted images designed by Nina.

In Nina’s own words:  “Ninainvorm is all about color, ceramics and creative (re-)design. I work with both vintage and new materials, always looking for the perfect match… Ceramics are my first love, but you’ll also find many examples of my love for (screen-)printing and collage.”

Little Village Platter

Are you with me?  Would you love to own one of these beautiful creations too?

And now sadly it’s time to bid you adieu.  I have really enjoyed guest posting on modflowers.  It was a pleasure and I hope I haven’t bored you all to tears.  If you enjoyed my posts, you might enjoy reading my ramblings over at the linen cloud.

Lovely Ada of Vintage Sheet Addict will be entertaining you from tomorrow – I am a fan of Ada and her lovely blog and I can’t wait to see what fun she has planned for us.

Wishing you all a really Happy New Year, Bee x

yay, retro!

As you may know, I do like a bit of vintage pottery.

I think there’s nothing nicer than setting your table with some cheerful retro soup bowls, settling down with your Earl Grey in a bright flowered cup with matching saucer (for the biscuits), or serving up slices of lemon drizzle cake on fabulous vintage plates.

Especially whilst reclining against a vintage fabric cushion or two

So I was jolly pleased when I stumbled across Yay, Retro!

Yay retro! is run by the multi-talented Sue, who is based on the edge of the New Forest. She does all the leg work searching out fab vintage and retro china from the 1940s, 50s, 60s and 70s, so you don’t have to!

Often the tea sets and kitchenware are one offs, or rarely seen as a set, making them extra special.

I asked Sue a few questions… it turns out we have quite a bit in common, including a fondness for retro-styled homes, Ercol and collecting (though we don’t share the same taste in biscuits!)

What made you start Yay, Retro!

I have always collected vintage jugs, then recently I fell head over heels in love with Poole Pottery from the 1950s. I began hunting round for it, and very soon I had a very large collection which we use every day. Whilst searching for Poole, I found lots of other gorgeous retro pieces from the 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s which I simply had to buy! Our house is now completely retro, we even have an original Ercol coffee table to put our vintage tea cups on!!

When did you open your shop?

Yay, retro! is an online china shop – yayretro.co.uk - and opened in July 2012. As a very new venture we are over the moon that we have such a fantastic following on facebook and over 400 visitors to our website every day!

What is your favourite piece / pattern / era of all time?

I adore fabulous design, chic colours and matte finishes, so I would have to say Poole’s Ice Green and Seagull pottery from the 1950s and 60s is the most perfect china for me! It’s understated-ness, the attention to detail – the way the spout comes out of the teapot makes me sigh, and the beautiful texture of Poole, which makes it a must-have for me every time!

Do you use retro china in your own home?

Most definitely! We use our 1950s Poole Pottery collection every day! We also have several other vintage Pyrex and Johnson Brothers pieces in use all of the time.

And finally, that vital question… what is your favourite biscuit?

Custard Creams and Iced Gems!

thrift of the day

Oh, I have coveted this for so long.

I have drooled over the design on Winters Moon.

I have “liked” similar on pinterest.

I have watched examples on ebay.

This morning the gods and goddesses smiled upon me and lo! there was this – on the top shelf of the farthest corner of the charity shop I don’t usually visit because it is too expensive.

But, this time, it wasn’t too expensive!

Made by Thomas of Germany, this lovely coffee pot is in perfect condition.

I don’t actually drink coffee. But no matter.

I have cleared it a little space in the “orange” section of my kitchen shelf.

It already seems quite at home.

birds of a feather

I thought I would share one of my favourite collections.

I don’t know anything about these bird dishes, other than that they are ceramic and were made by Carlton Ware in the mid 1960s.

Despite exhaustive internet research (well, ok, I googled Carlton Ware plus various descriptions) I haven’t been able to find a single reference to them.

I picked up my birdies on eBay over the last few years. They don’t come up very often and these days I can’t really afford them when they do.

I think my little flock is big enough now anyway.

If you look carefully, you can see that the one above got broken in the post – one of the drawbacks of eBay.

Thank heavens for superglue.

Bird of a feather, stuck together.

pottery reflections

When I was growing up my family visited Yorkshire quite often.

My parents both hailed from Yorkshire. Whilst they were growing up they moved around and lived, separately, in various parts of the county, following fathers as they migrated with various jobs.

My parents met whilst living in Evington, near Leicester. Perhaps their Yorkshireness drew them together.

Despite the fact that neither parent had much in the way of family ties to draw them back there, Yorkshire featured strongly in my childhood.

We were taken to Bridlington and Robin Hood’s Bay and to York. We rode on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and ate fish and chips in Scarborough. Much later, I learned that my parents honeymooned in Scarborough. We went on a boat on Hornsea Mere.

This is undoubtedly part of the reason why I have such a lasting fondness for Hornsea Pottery.

My parents took my sister and I to the Pottery on several occasions. I loved it: the vast acres of ceramics in various stages of manufacture. But most of all I loved the shop, where, at the end of the visit, we got to choose a gift.

Most times it was just a badge, or a pencil, or a key ring. But one memorable year each member of the family got a John Clappison-designed mug. A mug! Such a treat! We kept and used them for many years until, inevitably, they all got broken.

Hornsea Pottery is, alas, no more. Some of the designs are becoming quite collectable.

But that’s not why I like them. As well as their intrinsic beauty, they represent for me a part of my life that, like the pottery itself, is now gone forever.